With less than two months to go until the World Cup kicks off, the number of Brits searching for Brazilian hotels for the tournament this summer (12th June – 13th July 2014) has risen by a 628%, compared to the same period last year, new data from Hotels.com reveals.
The upcoming tournament has sparked interest in Brazil as a holiday destination, and searches for hotels in the country during the first three months of 2014 rose by nearly 20% compared to the same period last year. The World Cup is expected to inject $27.7 bn into the Brazil economy and the Hotels.com data suggests that hoteliers are starting to see the longer term interest from tourists that reflects this.
The weakening Real has also contributed to a rise in people holidaying in Brazil. Brits now get more for their money than they did this time last year, receiving around 390 Real for £100, compared to an average of 309 Real during the first three months of 2013. In addition the average price paid for a room in Rio decreased by 5% to £167 per night in 2013, according to the latest Hotels.com Hotel Price Index.
Neighbouring countries such as Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay are also benefiting from interest in the World Cup. Hotels.com has seen searches rise by up to a third for all of these countries compared to 2013 as travellers look to visit over the period of the tournament.
Matthew Walls of the Hotels.com brand commented: “The World Cup is clearly driving huge interest amongst tourists, and not just for the host cities in Brazil but the whole continent. Football fans are looking to take advantage of being in Brazil to visit neighbouring places and interest is growing rapidly. With so many fans expected to descend on South America this summer, accommodation is likely to be in short supply but good prices can still be found. For instance, hotel rooms are available in Rio from £85* per night for the first night of the tournament. Travellers should book rooms early and widen their search in order to avoid disappointment and to secure the best prices.”
